Check out this video from community member “GodGiven Mercy AndBass” who reached out to us on Facebook with this video showing drums being edited on an iPad controlling Pro Tools on a computer on the same network using a remote control software solution called Splashtop, using their iOS app.

Secondly, community member Tom Scrivano told us about a solution that is like a Hotkey Matrix on an iPad. Calmaestudiis in Spain have created a free template for the iOS platform which enables you to control your Pro Tools rig using buttons on the iOS device which enact Pro Tools shortcuts.

You need to get TouchOSC and Osculator and it only works on the Mac platform using a wi-fi network connection between your iPad and Pro Tools system.

We haven’t had chance to check either of these out yet. If you try them out, please let us know how you get on with them.

Update

on 2014-06-16 09:48 by Mike Thornton

Pascal Zander reached out to tell us about Actions For iPad which he says is easy to program and you can even program macros.

We have seen comments that people are struggling to get the Calmaestudiis, TouchOSC, Osculator combination to work. There are instructions that come with the template files but they are a little basic, but hey its free so doing a bit of work is not unreasonable. I have just been through the install process and I have written up a more comprehensive set of instructions and here they are…

Unzip the CalmaPT.zip file. In the CalmaPT folder you will find 2 folders - Osculator PT10 and TouchOSC PT10.

Run Osculator, it needs to be running all the time Pro Tools is running.

It will work in ‘demo’ mode until you select to purchase it. It will cost between 14 and 29 Euros plus vat for European users. Whilst in Demo mode when you get the ‘nag’ screen it stops working until you dismiss it.

Open the file calmaestudisPT10.oscdwith Osculator and leave it running, you might want to consider arranging for your computer to run it at start up.

Scroll down the page to find the Editor software and download appropriate TouchOsc editor for your computer.

Install the software and open the file calmaestudisPT10.touchosc in the TouchOSC Editor

Press the Sync button in the TouchOSC Editor.

On your iPad run TouchOSC and in the settings page, set the Host IP address to the IP address of the computer that is running Pro Tools.

Go to the Layout option in TouchOSC on your iPad and select Add.

In the Add Layout window press the Edit button in the top right hand corner of the screen.

Press the + button in the top left hand corner and then type in the IP address of the computer with Pro Tools and The TouchOSC editor on it. Press Done.

Press on the IP Address in the list of Editor Hosts in Touch SOC on your iPad, and that will download the profile as long as you have already pressed the Sync button on the TouchOSC Editor software.

If your iPad gives an error message that it is unable to connect to the server, check you have entered your IP addresses correctly and that you have started the Sync process in the TouchOSC Editor on your Pro Tools computer.

Once you have the template on your iPad press the Stop Sync button on the software and close the TouchOSC Editor.

You should now be able to use the Calmaestudiis iPad template to control Pro Tools from your iPad.

If you want to use all the buttons on the 13 tabs on the TouchOSC app on your iPad, you will need to add shortcuts into your Keyboard Preferences, and this is covered in the original instructions. I choose not to do this as they would override my shortcuts for my Hotkey Matrix.

We hope these will help anyone having difficulty installing this package.

Update

on 2014-06-16 16:41 by Neil Hester

There’s one more that I have been “sitting on” for over a year but now seems a good time to mention it.

KillerKeys is a virtual keyboard that is displayed on your screen showing shortcuts for hundreds of popular applications. It features autoswitching so when you move to another application the shortcuts being displayed change to the appropriate ones for that app’.

It also features a free ipad app’ that works over WiFi to allow direct access to the shortcut palette on the ipad’s screen as well as a touchpad for mouse pointing and clicking, a volume slider for audio control and a jog shuttle wheel for navigation and markers.

Why did I sit on it for so long?

Well, its implimentation wasnt perfect and I’ve had varying irregular performance trying to use it with Pro Tools 11 (its not listed as supported - Only PT8 and 10 are) , although it is feature rich it’s not as slick as I would want for a control surface replacement/add on but perhaps you’d like to try it yourself.